Canadian Business published an article on graphene, noting that companies are finally finding ways to use the so-called “wonder material” in real products. Though graphene has myriad exciting applications, incorporating it into commercial products has been a key struggle for companies working with it.
The news outlet highlights two companies that are making progress at bringing graphene to the public: Graphene Lighting plc and Grafoid Inc., both of which are private:

Graphene Lighting, based in Manchester, coats the back of [LED light bulbs] with graphene ink, removing the need for a heat sink and reportedly reducing energy use by up to 10%. “If you compare it to the LED bulb you can buy in a Rona right now, it’s much simpler,” says Christopher Hobbs, a Toronto-based investment banker at Industrial Alliance Securities Inc., and an adviser to Graphene Lighting. “It looks like a traditional incandescent light bulb, for the most part.” The company is a spinoff of BGT Materials, a graphene commercialization firm in which the University of Manchester has the largest stake. Earlier this year, Hobbs facilitated US$3.2-million in funding for Graphene Lighting, with most of the money coming from Canadian investors.
Ottawa-based Grafoid is taking a different approach, combining graphene with existing industrial polymers. “You end up with a stronger material that is less expensive,” says Gary Economo, the company’s CEO. For example, a graphene-enhanced nylon polymer could replace PEEK, a material used extensively in the aerospace industry. Grafoid’s polymers could also supplant the more expensive carbon fibre in the automotive sector; some manufacturers will soon use the company’s materials to make internal parts for new and used vehicles. Grafoid has identified 55 short- and medium-term applications for graphene, and the company expects to earn $100 million in revenue by the end of the year. “We don’t just want to be a low-cost supplier of graphene to the market in general,” Economo says. “The only people we work with are companies that pay us a royalty by using our material.”

Click here to read the full Canadian Business report.
Click here to view the Grafoid Inc. profile.